Stare



uitrh gratte lstrnt' ffire.

STARRIOLLEY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

Letters Patent No. 82,748, dated October 6, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR STREIGHING AND BLOCKING HATS.

attr .schwule meint in in tigen sttets rtmt mit mating part nf tige same.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, STARR POLLEY, of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hat-Stretching Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof. Y

My inventio'nris based on that described in a patent issued to me, datedAprilQ, 1867. It relates tothe means of holding the hat upon the stretching-device. I employ an India-rubber band in place, of the clamps described in my former patent. VThe band holds the hat properly, and reduces the complication of. tlie mechanism, as thereby its cost, and the labor of keeping it in order, and is found in practice to be more desirable in its effect upon the hats. The band is alsocapable of performingv an important function in relation to the hat,

after the latter has been removed from the stretching-machine. lIn other words, my invention, although desig-v' nated an improvement in hat-stretching machines, (by which I 4mean the operations known as stretching,

steaming-on, 5tc.,) relates not only to the machinery for and the operation of stretching, but also to the subsequent treatment of the hat whileit is helden the block.

Rubber bands have been before' used on stretching-machines, but never, as I am aware, so as to clamp or hold the hat-body upon the stretching-device, nor to hold the hat or hat-bodyproperly upon the hat-block during any of the subsequent stages. i

I will rst describe what I ,consider the best means of carrying out my invention, and will afterwards designate the points which I believe to be new. i

The accompanying drawings form a part .of this speciiication.

Figure l is a central vertical section, and v Figure 2 is a plan view of the entire machine. Fig. I-shows the machine with a hatebody in place, and with allthe parts in condition ready to commence the stretching-operation. Fig. 2 shows the levers in th'e same position, but without the hat-body and without the hollow cylindrical band of elastic material which forms the peculiar novel element in the apparatus; i

Figure 3 is a vertical section through the said band and the adjacent parts, after the levers have been moved apart to stretch the tip. Y

Figure 44 shows the same, after the block has been raised, and the hat-body with the said band drawn upon it; and I Figure 5 shows the hat-block and band with the hat-body, after being removed from the stretching-levers and placed upon a stand, whichmay be at anyrequired distance from the stretching-mechanism. It is ready for the subsequent treatment.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts inall the figures;

A is a.' rigid framework.

B is aseries of levers, turning on hinges, Iz, and provided with springs, C, which ytend to bold the upper ends of the levers close together. l

D are cords or chains, leading to the treadl/e E, turning on a hinge, e.

The operation ofvvall these parts is as described in my former patent. The hat=bodyfis applied over the upper ends of the levers, and the treadle being depressed, the levers are extended and stretch the hat.

`O is a block, mountedion a carrier, N; and operated by the lever P'Lthrough the aid of the cord B. and its connections, as represented. By turning the lever P; the cord R is pulled up, and the hat-block is elevated into contact with the stretched top of the hat. Turning the lever P still further, the hat-block is pushed up with force, soas to draw u'p the hat-body and to cnuse'it to embrace the b lock tightly yThe block O, with the hat upon-it, is finally taken od' by hand, or otherwise removed v'for subsequent treatment, while another block, O, is placed on the carrier N and depressed, afterv which all the parts are allowed to return' to their original position, and another hat-body is applied.

T is n. band of vulcanized rubber. It is madeof such size that it ts easily upon the hat-body, in the pos,i,

tion indicated in fig. 1, and fits tightly, so as to clasp it with considerable firmness when the stretcher-levers B are extended, as indicated in- 3. When the levers B begin to separate at their upper ends, the rubber band holds the hat-body, and prevents it from sliding upward on the levers, but after the hat-blockhas commenced to draw the hat-body upward, the rubber band moves with the latter, and ultimately slips off of the upper end of the levers, and embraces the hat-body upon the hat-block O alone, as indicated in figs. 4 and 5.

It will be readily understood that the blocks O may be changed to different sizes and styles, and that the rubber band T may be changed in diameter, as also in Width, to adapt it to different sizes and styles of Work.

After the hat is upon the block, in fig` 5, the rubber band holds the hat tightly and takes the place of the string, which has generally been considered necessary in this part of thel operation. A string may be 'applied in addition` to the band, iii-any ease, ifpreferred.

The hat may be treated, in all the subsequent stages, in the same manner as when'stretched, steamed on, blocked, die., by other and ordinary means.

I have described the bands T as rubber. Any of the compounds oi' rubber, giltta-percha, or analogous material, may be employed, which will endure the heat of the steam or hot water, and will possess the high elastic tension which is required. I prefer soft vulcanized rubber. It is important, Whatever the material employed, that the band shall be made of considerable width in the vertical direction, and it is important, in I the subsequent treatment, that it be of little thickness radially. In other Words, it should be a flat band, in

the form ot' a hollow` cylinder, rather than that of an annular piece cut'from a disk.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

as follows:

1. I claim the arrangement of the dat elastic ring or band T, of rubber, over or outside of the hat-bodyf, as shown and described, in combination with the stretching-device B, when arranged to operate relatively thereto during the stretching operation, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

2. I claim the elastic band T, in combination with a hat-body, and with theblock O aud stretching-device B, so as to perform the double function of clamping or holding the hatfbody in place upon the stretching-machine iu the act of stretching the tip, and also of holding the body upon the block during the subsequent operation substantially as herein described. f

In testimony whereof, I have hereuntolset my name in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

STARR POLLEY.

Witnesses:

W. C. DEY, C. C. Lrvlnes. 

